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Part II: Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Collaboration
The development of the individualized education program (IEP), and the importance of family and staff collaboration. ''' The development of the IEP follows from the initial and ongoing collection of assessment data. The IEP also details the least restrictive, most appropriate placement and outlines the instructional program. The IEP must be evaluated and then rewritten annually as long as services are still necessary (Polloway, E. A., Patton, J.R., Serna, L., & Bailey, J. W. (2018) IDEA requires that each IEP that is developed contain certain components. These mandated components include the following: * Statement of the child’s present level of academic achievement and functional performance * Statement of measurable annual goals, including benchmarks, or short-term objectives when applicable * Statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services to be provided to the child * Statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to the child * Explanation of the extent, if any, to which the child will not participate with non-disabled children in the regular class * Statement of any individual modifications in the administration of statewide or district wide assessments of student achievement * Projected date for the beginning of the services and modifications * Anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services and modifications * Statement of how the child’s progress toward the annual goals will be measured * Statement of how the child’s parents will be regularly informed of their child’s progress toward the annual goals Two other components of the IEP will be necessary for older students: * ·By age 16, appropriate measurable postsecondary goals must be set and a statement of transition services (including courses of study) determined. * ·Beginning at least 1 year before a student reaches the age of majority under state law, the IEP must include a statement that the student has been informed of his or her rights that will transfer on reaching the age of majority (Polloway, E. A., Patton, J. R., Serna, L., & Bailey, J. W. (2018) '''Family and Collaboration during IEP Meeting In parent-professional collaborations in exceptional education, families not only participate as equal partners in their child’s Individual Educational Plan assessment and planning process but also take part in a broad array of education activities to assist their own child and other children. Parents and professionals collaborate when they "work together in an equally reciprocal relationship that is based on mutual trust and caring" Parents are encouraged to become involved in the education of their children, not only because it is their right, but also because students are positively influenced by parental/family involvement. Individual Educational Plan (IEP) meetings are a critical time for parental presence and input. Schools place a high priority on parent participation on the IEP team and will provide written notice about the day and time of IEP meetings (Ncset.org, n.d.), (Project10.info, 2019) People who should attend the IEP team meeting IEP Team The identified members of the IEP team, as specified in the most recent reauthorization of IDEA, reflect key emphases of the new law: parent involvement, coordination with the general education curriculum, and involvement in the general education settings. The members include parents of the student; special education teacher; one or more general education teachers; local education agency representative (i.e., a person with authority to commit necessary resources); a person who can interpret the evaluation results; the student, when appropriate; and other knowledgeable persons whom the parents or school may choose to invite.'' The team needs to function with the best interests of the student in mind during all meetings and other actions. '''It is also critical to remember that the parents are equal members of the team, a fact that is sometimes overlooked' (Grossberg, 2019). · Types of assessment and testing needed forthe IEP The IEP is the primary document that outlines specific plans for services, placement, transitional planning, and now other assurances. This document serves as the driving force in the delivery of an appropriate education for students who qualify for special education. This document should be a valuable asset for all students. ·Initially, a student is determined eligible for special education if he or she meets various eligibility criteria. This process is based on a comprehensive assessment. The data gathered for the eligibility process and any further information collected by multidisciplinary specialists and by both special and general education teachers can assist with the development of the IEP. However, in almost all situations, special education teachers will have to conduct further curriculum-related assessments to gather the type of instructionally useful data to be able to develop appropriate annual goals and to know where to begin instruction (Polloway, E.A., Patton, J. R., Serna, L., & Bailey, J. W. (2018) Recommendations to help families gain a better understanding of the IEP process ' Parents provides information such as family factors on their child’s IEP, whether school instructions are benefiting their child or not. Parents need to know that there is an eligibility process before their child receive a decision of having an IEP. Parents should know that are key contributors to the development of their child’s IEP. In addition, they have the right to challenge or appeal any decision related to any aspect of the special educations process. Also parents have been encouraged to be more involved in their child’s decision-making processes related to their education, especially as related to transition planning. Parents have the right to educational records, the right to obtain an independent educational evaluation, the right to request a due process hearing, the right to appeal decisions, and the right to initiate civil action when appealing a final hearing decision. (Polloway, E. A., Patton, J. R., Serna, L., & Bailey, J. W. (2018) · '''Information on Developing Appropriate Aoals and Objectives for the IEP ' The annual goals should reflect the educator’s (and the parents’) best guess of what the student can reasonably achieve within the school year. The following features can help determine realistic expectations: chronological age, past learning profile, and recent learning history and response to instruction. Teachers can conceptualize annual goals, which may range from outcomes that might be considered the most optimistic to the most pessimistic. Against these parameters, reasonable estimates can be derived (Grossberg, 2019). Annual goals should include four major elements. IDEA 1997 lists four characteristics of an annual goal: * It must be measurable. * It must tell what the student can reasonably accomplish in a year. * It must relate to helping the student be successful in the general education curriculum or address other educational needs resulting from the disability. * It must be accompanied by benchmarks or short-term objectives (Grossberg, 2019, Gibb & Dyches, 2014)· '''Information on how the goals and objectives affect the curricular design ''' Goals that are positive provide an appropriate direction for instruction. Avoiding negative goals creates an atmosphere that is helpful in communicating with parents as well as in charting student progress. The goal “will respond verbally to teacher questions” gives the student something to strive for, as opposed to “will learn to keep mouth closed,” which negatively emphasizes something to avoid. Goals should also be oriented to the student. Developing students’ skills is the intent, and the only measure of effectiveness should be what is learned, not what is taught. Thus, “will verbally respond to questions with two-word phrases” is preferable to “will be given oral language readiness materials.” Finally, goals must be relevant to the individual student’s current and future needs across a range of academic, personal/social, and daily living domains. Unfortunately, research indicates that IEPs frequently do not meet this criterion (Grossberg, 2019) · '''Types of service models for co-teaching and inclusion classrooms, and the pros and cons of them There are different approaches to teaching in the classroom with special education students. And students will sometimes function according to the teaching methods they receive. The following are different models for co-teaching and inclusion: * Supportive teaching—One teacher is the primary instructor—the other teacher moves around the classroom and provides support to students. * ·'Parallel teaching'—Teachers work with separate groups of students within the same classroom space. * ·'Complementary teaching'—the teacher with expertise takes the lead, and the other teacher provides ancillary instructional functions, such paraphrasing, modeling, or emphasizing key points. * ·'Team teaching'—Teachers simultaneously deliver a lesson or activity. According to the table 3-2 of Phoenix text book, there are also pros and cons or barriers to collaboration with co-teaching (Grossberg, 2019). * Lack of administrative support and encouragement of collaborative activities * Attitudinal issues * Teacher’s focus on the class as a whole rather than on individual learning needs * ·Required coverage of content standards overlaid with needs for curricular accommodations * ·Insufficient preparation or confidence to differentiate instruction for diverse learners, especially those with extreme behavioral events * Lack of funds needed to directly support all students needing individualized help * Insufficient time allocated for real collaborative efforts to work * Intensification of teachers’ daily challenges when students with exceptionalism are included within a full class load * Lack of real assistance due to the caseloads among special educators and delays with referrals * ·Absence of an efficient and effective pre-referral system that would assist general education teachers with students prior to an official referral and eligibility determination * Students’ lack of self-determination/self-advocacy and other collaborative skills (Grossberg, 2019).